Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where The Wild Things Are may be a beloved classic, but with just 338 words and an unruly kid who hangs with a group of gloomy, hard-partying monsters at its center, it doesn't sound like old-fashioned family fun. No wonder, then, Warner Bros. is concerned that its $75 million film adaptation might not become the blockbuster it needs. The movie - which has been in development at various stages since 1992 - will miss its original release date this October 2008, and now director Spike Jonze, who is best known for offbeat, grown-up fare such as being John Malkovich, is about to begin a round of reshoots. In addition, sources inside the studio and around Hollywood tell EW the production is "deeply troubled."

The problems began at the end of last year, when Jonze showed early versions to Warner execs. According to sources, they told him that his take was too dark for it target audience. Wild Things producer John Carls insists "there is nothing inappropriate for a child," but bloggers fueled the bad buzz with reports that youngsters cried during a public research screening last December. All of that prompted Warner to request significant changes to the script (penned by Jonze and author Dave Eggers) from Alvin and The Chipmunks screenwriter Jon Vitti. Carls says that the script's tone will not change; rather, he explains," we're inserting new moments that will make the individual Wild Things' story lines more clear." Warner, meanwhile, issued this statement: "We have always believed in and continue to support this film. As with all films, post-production is an evolving process, and Spike Jonze will be shooting some additional scenes."

Since he doesn't have authority over the final cut, fans are encouraging Jonze to leak his version online if the studio ends up removing him from the film. Carls says that won't happen, and adds that Sendak himself is "very pleased with what Spike has accomplished thus far." Considering that Warner is still smarting from the abysmal debut of its kid-targeted Speed Racer adaptation, perhaps its execs should hope that the master of children's storytelling is right.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Something has gone very wrong with "Where the Wild Things Are," the much-anticipated Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book. The $80-million film, with a script by literary cool-guy Dave Eggers, was filmed largely in the second half of 2006 in Australia. It was originally slated for release this October but got pushed back to the fall of 2009. Last week it disappeared entirely from the Warner Bros. release schedule, a sign of continuing troubles.

The script got good early reviews. But for months the Web has been pulsing with rumors and in-depth accounts that when Jonze had a research screening last December, kids in the audience were crying and fleeing the theater--not exactly the reaction the studio had hoped for.

As you may recall from having read the Sendak story to your own child, "Where the Wild Things Are" is about a mischievous boy who, after being sent to his room without his supper, creates a forest-like world full of exotic beasties. The movie's big problem? The boy, played by newcomer Max Records, is almost entirely unlikable, coming off as more mean-spirited and bratty than mischievous. Jonze has also had tons of issues with the wild things. Originally shot as actors in furry creature suits with animated faces, as well as animatronic puppets, they were a big disappointment. Instead of being scary or funny, they almost seemed blank, with little warmth or emotion. Jonze is now retooling the film, using CGI to create more life-like monsters.

But can the movie be saved? And when will it ever see the light of day? I just spoke to Warners chief Alan Horn, who offered, for the first time, his studio's side of the story.

Horn denied rumors that the studio has taken Jonze off the movie, saying he remains fully supportive of the filmmaker.

"We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film," Horn said. "We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. We obviously still have a challenge on our hands. But I wouldn't call it a problem, simply a challenge. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material and we're just trying to get it right."

Warners can afford to take its time. It has an influx of 12 to 14 movies from the newly absorbed New Line studio that Warners is still trying to fit into its release schedule. The really fascinating issue about "Wild Things" is that it shows the pitfalls of Warners' strategy of marrying gifted directors to mainstream studio material. The strategy has produced a number of triumphs, most notably Chris Nolan's "Batman Begins" and the upcoming "The Dark Knight," Alfonso Cuaron's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven." But it has also resulted in disasters where the filmmakers have been totally miscast with the material, whether it was the Wachowski brothers' "Speed Racer" or acclaimed German "Downfall" director Oliver Hirschbiegel's "Invasion," which underwent all sorts of rewrites and reshoots but still turned out to be a flop.

I congratulate Warners for being willing to let daring artists tackle its more conventional material. No one wants to see "Where the Wild Things Are" in the hands of a paint-by-numbers filmmaker like Chris Columbus. But if Jonze has his mind set on making a dark, occasionally disturbing film, how much rope should the studio give him before it tries to rein him in? It's not an easy call. I'll give Alan Horn the last word, since he was enough of a stand-up guy to debate the issue with me.

"We try to take a few shots," he said. "Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. The jury is still out on this one. But we remain confident that Spike is going to figure things out and at the end of the day we'll have an artistically compelling movie."

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

I'm not sure how I feel about the public consciousness on this whole affair.

In a way, I think these articles kind of protect the film - each piece seems to get the internet community vocal about the idea of letting anyone but the original creative team tinker with the final film...

But internet displeasure doesn't mean shit compared to box office. As much as Warner likes to talk about how much they want to invest in the artist, they ultimately do not give a shit and have proven it time after time.

Plus, it gives the whole thing a real extraneous notoriety. I like the silence regarding the film. I like the mystery. And, in that regard, these articles just stain what matters most: the finished film.

That article scares me. Up till now, I was thinking the movie was one of those too brilliant for audiences flicks, and the studio wanted Spike to cutesy it up, maybe add a wisecracking sidekick. Now it seems like there are problems with the film that have nothing to do with dumb audiences. Most notably the part where it says Max is unlikeable. That can be a HUGE problem considering the source material.

Logged

Let's go to a motel. We don't have to do anything -- we could just swim.

The worst part of it is that the finished product could become a bland, middle ground mixture between the worst aspects in Jonze's vision and what the executives demand from the film. And it will also, very likely be left to die in terms of marketing.

The Spike Jonze-directed Where the Wild Things Are is back on Warner Bros.' release schedule. The adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's book is now set for a release on Oct. 16, 2009. The pic stars Catherine Keener, Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, Tom Noonan, Michael Berry and James Gandolfini.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol